Automatic seal for tubes



G51'.A GRIFFIN' AurlouA'x'IcSEALA Foix4 TUBES Filed April 1v, 1931 FIG.1j

Patented N ov. 27, 1934 UNiTED STATES Plirlala'ro OFFICE 2 Claims.

For a detailed description of the present form of my invention,reference may be had to the following specification and to theaccompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein Fig. 1 shows mydevice in cross section with the valve seated;

Fig. 2 shows my device in cross section with the valve raised;

Fig. 3 shows my device enlarged on a four lo to one scale;

Figs. 4 and 5 show details.

My invention relates to an automatic valve for collapsible tubes. Inparticular I apply such a valve to a tube-cap, instead of to the tubeitself, as has heretofore been proposed. I also apply the valve so thatit will seat downward on top of the cap and provide for its beingspringpressed to its seat. In operation, pressure apvplied to thecontents of the tube, by squeezing l its lower end, will cause saidcontents to exude from the edges of the valve which will bespringpressed to close when the pressure is released. Referring to thedrawing, A represents the top part of a collapsible tube of the wellknown type adapted to be rolled up from its bottom end as the contentsare delivered from its top end. B

represents a separable cap adapted to screw on the nipple which projectsup from the top of the tube. The cap, as well as the tube, are standard80 articles at the present time. C represents my valve, which isdesigned to open outward and seat downward in a hole in the center ofcap B.

A stem D projects downward from the center of valve C through thecentral guide opening in a perforated disc E that lies on top of thetube nipple. A spring F surrounding stem D draws downward on the valve,being seated at its upper end against the under side of disc E and atits opposite end seating against a stop on the lower end of the valvestern. The valve C is beveled on its under side and it seats inacorresponding bevel around the edge of the hole in cap B. The angle ofthat bevel constitutes an important feature of my invention. It shouldbe such that, as the valve goes to its seat, it will expel from thatseat any of the plastic contents of thetube which may be trapped inposition thereon. I have found that with the opposite edges of the valvestanding at an angle of approximately degrees to each other, as shown inthe enlarged view of Fig.

3, this result is accomplished. It is also important that the seat onwhich the valve rests should be narrow, as if it were a cutting edgeabout ten one-thousandths of an inch. Beyond that distance from the topsurface of the valve, the

interior walls of the cap opening may no longer converge but may standparallel, or even diverge,

as appears in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Moreover, by reason of the downwardseating of the valve, the natural operation of wiping oiI the top of 60the cap will aid the spring in seating the valve. The next importantfeature is the washer E which serves the function of a guide for thestem D, thus compelling the movement of the valve in a straight lineaway from or towards the seat in the cap. Otherwise the contents mighttend to escape from the valve at one side, instead of equally at allpoints around its periphery. The washer E is also perforated, as shownin Fig. 5, and the size of the perforations may be adjusted with respectto the consistency of the contents. Thereby the initial outrush of thesaid contents, when the valve lifts in response to squeezing at thelower end, may be controlled and restrained to the extent desired. Thewasher E is seated in a circular groove formed between the cap B and thetube-nipple to which the cap is screwed. The spring F, when arranged asshown, may 0ccupy but a small space inthe neck of the tube.

It should be borne in mind that only a fraction of the upward pressureon the contents caused by squeezing the lower end of the tube, isexerted on the valve to lift it, since the most of that pressure isreceived by the upper end of the tube itself. Therefore the spring Fmust yield to allow the valve to lift in response to the aforesaidfraction of the total lifting pressure applied to the contents.Conversely, when the pressure is relaxed the spring F alone must reseatthe valve and squeeze out of the valve seat the material left betweenthat seat and the valve. That effect may, however, be supplemented bythe aforesaid wiping off. That allows but a weak spring F which may beplaced in the neck of the tube without obstructing to any materialdegree the flow of the contents around it.

By applying my valve to the cap alone and making the cap a vehicle forthe Valve and its spring, I can make the cap itself a self containedunit, applicable to different packages, and not involving any change ormanipulation of the package itself to apply thereto the automatic valve.If desired the cap and valve may be enclosed by a removable lm or disc,as shown in Fig. 4, for transportation purposes. It may also be observedthat I have avoided by my device all danger from exposure of thecontents or any part thereof to the atmosphere, where it may becomehardened and interfere with the working of the invention. no

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a collapsible tube having an outlet extension ofa cap having means for removably engaging said extension, said caphaving a passageway therein provided with a conical seat. a conicalvalve constructed and arranged to rest on said valve seat, the surfaceof said valve seat beingbeveled on such an angle as to expel materialunder pressure of the valve thereon, and formed 'with a cutting edgebeyond the bevel, a rod secured to said valve and extended into saidtube, an abutment member held in position by said cap and slidablyengaging said rod, and a spring extending along said rod Losanna. i

and having one end engaging said abutment member and the other endengaging the rod so as to normally force the valve inwardly against itsseat and expel the material between the valve and the seat.

2. A tube seal comprising means providing a passageway having a conicalvalve seat, a conical valve constructed and arranged to rest upon saidvalve seat, and means constructed and arranged to normally force thevalve inwardly against its seat, the surface of said seat being beveledon such an angle as to provide a cutting edge so arranged that the valveas it seats will expel material between the valve and the seat.

GUY T. GRIFFIN.

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